Georgia state team made a statement today-they’re here to win it-but North Carolina proves they’re not a force to be discounted as they fought to close the gap as day two of the 2010 Southern Division Championship presented by Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce wrapped up in Eufaula, Ala., today. Only one day of tournament fishing left to decide who will walk away as 2010 Southern Division Champions.
There’s a lot at stake as over $32,000 in tournament Prizes, 14 spots in the 2011 Federation National Championship are up for grabs. The anglers are ready to bring all they got, one last push to see who will be crowned champions as the final day of 2010 Southern Division Championship will decide.
Knocking down 19lb 11ounces yesterday, Al Horton, from Palmetto, Ga., brings another 19lb 11ounces today.
Marvin Horton, GA
Horton’s leading the Georgia state team and the overall tournament standings with a total tournament weight of 39lb 6ounces. Horton struggled until around 9:30 this morning, then came up with a limit around 1:30pm. “I was blessed both days with 19lb 11ounces doing mostly the same thing for the last nine days,” Horton said. When asked about his plans tomorrow he said, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” So, we’ll see if he can wrangle in another 19lb 11ounces tomorrow and hold down the top spot for the overall championship title.
Fighting to take it away is yesterday’s tournament leader and North Carolina leader, Brian Fritts, from Raleigh, N.C., who caught a limit of bass weighing 17lb 14ounces making his tournament total 38lb 6ounces.
Fritts had his limit by 10:20am junk fishing. “I’m fishing shallow, deep, all over and tomorrow I’m going to go out there and just fish,” Fritts said. This would be his first time to qualify for the federation national championship and he won’t be leaving anything out there tomorrow to make sure that happens.
In third, just an ounce away, is Gregory Hoskinson, from Louisville, Ky., with five fish weighing 19lb 3ounces making
Brian Fritts
his tournament total 38lb 5ounces. Hoskinson is holding the top spot in the state of Kentucky with a six pound lead. He qualified for the 2009 Federation National Championship and this week he’s fishing hard with the drive to make a repeat, what he brings tomorrow will decide if this will be year two in a row for this champion angler.
In fourth, is Jeff Hager, from Alexis, N.C., with a limit weighing 19lb 13ounces making his total 36lb 7ounces. Close behind, is Robbie Robinson, from Mobile, Ala., with five fish weighing 21lb 2ounces making his tournament total 35lb 15ounces. Robinson is also currently first in the state of Alabama.
Next, is 2009 Federation National Champion, Jay Keith, from Camden, S.C., who is South Carolina’s team leader with a limit of fish today weighing 17lb 7ounces making his total tournament weight 35lb 8ounces.
Greg 'Hosko' Hoskinson, KY
In seventh, is the Florida state team leader, Jesse Woodring, from Jupiter, Fla., with five fish weighing 16lb 14ounces, making his total 32lb 11ounces. Woodring knocked out the tournament big bass today by an ounce with a nice keeper weighing 6lb 14ounces. His third fish of the day was his big one, around 8:30am flippin grass mats in about 2ft water. “When I reeled it in I thought, yep, that will take big bass,” Woodring said.
In team standings, Georgia’s in first catching 142lb 8ounces, with a tournament total of 296lb 6ounces. North Carolina’s close behind with 145lb 6ounces and a tournament total of 274lb 15ounces. In third, is South Carolina, with 114lb 12ounces making their total 232lb 9ounces. Full standings are as follows; Fla., 110lb 15ounces/230lb; Tenn., 118lb 6ounces/225lb 11ounces; Ky., 124lb 7ounces/224lb 14ounces; Ala., 117lb 8ounces/221lb 12ounces
The overall and team standings are tight, so only the bites tomorrow will decide who will be our 2010 Southern Division Champions. The tension is on, the anglers focused, the final day will definitely be an exhilarating test of skill and luck as the anglers head out to fish for bragging rights and the esteemed championship titles.
June 4, 2010 – Yellowtail Reservoir, Montana – Eric Lippincott of Daniel, Wyoming is the overall 2010 Northwest Division Champion and is headed to the 2011 TBF National Championship next Spring – and so is his father. Gene Lippincott finished 2nd in Wyoming to also land a spot in the Federation Championship as a Co-Angler. Eric was consistent all 3 days, finishing with a 15 bass total weight of 28 lbs 12 oz. He had 9 lbs 10 oz Day 1, 9 lbs 11 oz Day 2 & 9 lbs 7 oz Day 3. If we gave tournament MVP, Eric would’ve won. Not only did he win the overall tournament, he also was first in his state, the Day 2 Leader & Tournament Big Bass Winner (2 lbs 11 oz). Eric is very excited at having another shot at the ‘Living the Dream’ Package. “It is literally a dream to have the opportunity to go back”, he said. Eric continued, “ I caught my fish, while fishing ultra slow, something I do not normally do but I figured it out in practice. The first wave of spawning smallmouth have already done their business and now a second and third wave is reusing the same beds. Catch one off a bed and soon another will take its place. So I just went around and around fishing the same stuff.”
Ranger Cup qualifier of the tournament. He wins half of the total Ranger Cup Bonus for being a Ranger Boat owner and registering it in the TBF Ranger Cup Bonus Program. The winning team of Idaho (which Palaniuk is also a member) gets the other half to divide among all Ranger Cup qualified Anglers on that state team.
As for the State Standings, the Idaho Federation Squad got better every day and was victorious with a tournament total of 145 fish for 215 lbs 15 oz, Day 1 leaders from Washington fell to 2nd Place with 191 lbs 3 oz. Oregon, fishing with only a 10 man team (2 men down) finishes 3rd with 157 lbs 14 oz. Montana finished 4th and Wyoming finished 5th.
yesterday, making their 2 day total 146 lbs 2 oz. Yesterday’s State Team Leader, Washington, had a tough day, only bringing in 45 lbs 3 oz maxing out their 2-day total at 123 lbs 13 oz. They are not out of it yet but they need a top performance tomorrow and a little help in the form of a stumble by Idaho. If Idaho catches them again tomorrow it is likely an all out race for second place. Oregon holds down the third spot with 105.13, they are fishing two men down with only 10 anglers in attendance from the Oregon squad. Could they have won this event if they had a full roster? We will never know but they do have a real shot at second place, if they catch them good again tomorrow and Washington has another tough day.
key for the leaders. “It was a good day.” Polfer said. Josh has never qualified for the TBF National Championship and is doing everything he can to secure his spot in next spring’s event with one final day to go. The rest of the Idaho team will have something to say about that as well however, as the standings are very close. Polfer is leading his state, but only by 7 oz over a very successful 22-year-old Brandon Palaniuk. Brandon has had tremendous success in the last few months fishing the Federation National Championship, the BFL All-American and FLW Tour. Tomorrow will tell the story.
Drop shot fishing off the cliffs seems to be a successful way to catch the smallmouth here on the Yellowtail Reservoir. This has been successful for the overall tournament leader, Eric Lippincott of Daniel, Wyoming. He has 2-day, 10-bass total of 19 lbs 5 oz. He’s also staying consistent, and should have a good chance at qualifying for the National Championship. His dad, Gene Lippincott is in 2nd place in the Wyoming state standings with 13 lbs 2 oz. Mike Bozner is not far behind him with 12 lbs 8 oz.
